Alaska black bear tag!

[Young Buck]

Can't wait to read about the upcoming hunts! I will have a SE Alaska black bear tag in the next few years I hope!

 

[David Gough]

How are the logistics panning out for everyone? We would like to go complete DIY. Something about waking up out there is drawing me to figuring out the logistics. My issue I keep running into is this;

1. We have never been there before and we both have tags
2. Neither of us have spent a terrible amount of time around boats
3. Will we need to charter a plane for one of us and the other takes the skiff to a spot on a map? Per Jensen's boat rental the weight capacity of the 18' foot skiffs is 900 pounds.
4. Where do we get gas cans/gas/how much is needed for a week long trip?

 

[LoveBirdDogs]

No one asked, but here’s my take ....

I’ve hunted Kuiu twice now. You can totally do it the way Randy has hunted SE Alaska but don’t ignore the big hurdles he has been forced to clear. Broken boat motors, long boat taxis, hauling in gas, TSA tearing up your rafts, rain, rain, rain... there’s a lot that can go wrong up there. Both times I went I paid a little extra dough and stayed at Calder Mtn Lodge in Point Baker. They’ll pick you up in Petersburg and take you to the lodge where you rent a very nice canvas-topped skiff with a 90hp Yamaha motor, fishing tackle, etc. Then they cook for you so you don’t have to fly food up there. You can sleep in a dry place and use a dryer on site to dry clothes. They have a walk-in blast freezer for your bear meat and fish. Short jaunt across Sumner Strait at 30 mph to Kuiu for your hunting. There’s gas in Point Baker, as well, so you don’t have to fly in fuel. I’d think about it. Worth the money in my opinion because solving the other logistics isn’t cheap either.

I admire the heck out of Randy for doing it the way he does it. But it’s WAY tougher doing everything yourself up there. We don’t have a DIY show to live up to. Think hard about enlisting good help.


May 2019, Reid Bay, Kuiu Island
View attachment 119964

Nice bear and good info. I am looking at doing this hunt maybe in a couple years. Did you do your hunt alone? I normally hunt alone but my wife is worried about me being some where like that alone.

 

[rmyoung1]

Nice bear and good info. I am looking at doing this hunt maybe in a couple years. Did you do your hunt alone? I normally hunt alone but my wife is worried about me being some where like that alone.

I wouldn’t do it alone for a number of reasons but chief among those is the tide issue. The tides swing like 18 feet every 12 hours. If you’re alone and you beach your boat for a stalk, you’ll come back to a boat that’s high & dry way too often. In some cases that’ll be a very, very long wait for the ocean to come back, perhaps not until the middle of the night.

 

[rwbowser]

No one asked, but here’s my take ....

I’ve hunted Kuiu twice now. You can totally do it the way Randy has hunted SE Alaska but don’t ignore the big hurdles he has been forced to clear. Broken boat motors, long boat taxis, hauling in gas, TSA tearing up your rafts, rain, rain, rain... there’s a lot that can go wrong up there. Both times I went I paid a little extra dough and stayed at Calder Mtn Lodge in Point Baker. They’ll pick you up in Petersburg and take you to the lodge where you rent a very nice canvas-topped skiff with a 90hp Yamaha motor, fishing tackle, etc. Then they cook for you so you don’t have to fly food up there. You can sleep in a dry place and use a dryer on site to dry clothes. They have a walk-in blast freezer for your bear meat and fish. Short jaunt across Sumner Strait at 30 mph to Kuiu for your hunting. There’s gas in Point Baker, as well, so you don’t have to fly in fuel. I’d think about it. Worth the money in my opinion because solving the other logistics isn’t cheap either.

I admire the heck out of Randy for doing it the way he does it. But it’s WAY tougher doing everything yourself up there. We don’t have a DIY show to live up to. Think hard about enlisting good help.


May 2019, Reid Bay, Kuiu Island
View attachment 119964

Did you fly in at all or was it all ferry and boat? Just starting to look into Alaska and I’m allergic to single engine aircraft!

 

[rmyoung1]

Did you fly in at all or was it all ferry and boat? Just starting to look into Alaska and I’m allergic to single engine aircraft!

Commercial flight to Petersburg. Then the Calder Mountain Lodge folks arranged for a cab to pick us up and deliver us to the Harbor Masters where they met us with their jet boat. Easy!!!

 

[rwbowser]

Commercial flight to Petersburg. Then the Calder Mountain Lodge folks arranged for a cab to pick us up and deliver us to the Harbor Masters where they met us with their jet boat. Easy!!!

Thank you for the info, I’ll look them up! I’m pretty new to hunting and have set the Super 10 as my personal goal to work toward. Alaska is a necessity for that! Thanks again.

 

[rmyoung1]

Thank you for the info, I’ll look them up! I’m pretty new to hunting and have set the Super 10 as my personal goal to work toward. Alaska is a necessity for that! Thanks again.

Good luck with the quest. That’s not easy. Moving to AK would make that sheep/moose/goat combination a whole lot more attainable... at least the tag acquisition part.

 

[rwbowser]

I figured it would be tough, but even if I never reach the goal at least I’ll have fun trying.

 

[Jglenn198]

Lots of good info

 

[Young Buck]

For the guys that had the tag in May/June 2020... how’d it go?

 

[slim23]

i have this tag for spring of 21. I think i have the logistics figured out but i haven't gotten a date picked. watching all of randys videos i can see advantages to early and late. I was thinking late may?

 

[AndyPOW]

How are the logistics panning out for everyone? We would like to go complete DIY. Something about waking up out there is drawing me to figuring out the logistics. My issue I keep running into is this;

1. We have never been there before and we both have tags
2. Neither of us have spent a terrible amount of time around boats
3. Will we need to charter a plane for one of us and the other takes the skiff to a spot on a map? Per Jensen's boat rental the weight capacity of the 18' foot skiffs is 900 pounds.
4. Where do we get gas cans/gas/how much is needed for a week long trip?

My advice would be don't go that route. Things can, and do, go to shit in a hurry out here even for guys that live here, know boats, and are familiar with the area. Go the Calder Mountain Lodge route. They are a good operation.

 

[David Gough]

My advice would be don't go that route. Things can, and do, go to shit in a hurry out here even for guys that live here, know boats, and are familiar with the area. Go the Calder Mountain Lodge route. They are a good operation.

We have them booked, thanks